Essential Practice Management Tips You and Your Staff Can Do, Part 2

Posted June 27, 2019byomguser

There are many ways to market Chiropractic practices, but often some of the most important no to low-cost options are overlooked. In part one of this series, we suggested that Chiropractors monitor patient visit numbers and work to improve the patient experience. This blog is the second in a three-part series, focused on things you can do to generate referrals at your practice.

All Chiropractors know the importance referrals, but did you know that Referral Marketing, or “word-of-mouth,” is often considered the most effective marketing channel, even outside the chiropractic industry?

Here are some low to no-cost tips you can start using to improve your customer service and increase referrals right now:

The first tip is a phone script for your staff, and you can download it with no strings attached here. Your staff’s phone interactions with patients are sometimes even more important than your own in-person patient interactions, as they are often responsible for a patient’s first impression of your practice. PulStar DC Dr. James Maggio created a phone script that he has found to be an invaluable new staff training tool, and as a reference tool for veteran employees at his practice in Virginia Beach. He shares the script in the link above, and you can either use it as-is or build upon it for your own practice.

After an appointment, make sure your patients leave with your contact information. A small card-sized magnet with contact information (ex. phone, the Doctor’s direct email, website and possibly social media accounts, etc.) will reinforce your desire to be an on-going resource for patients, and will ensure patients can easily contact you with a question, or to schedule a new appointment. It will also make it easier for patients to refer family members and friends.

Foster patient-to-patient referrals. A simple step is to encourage patients to bring a close friend or family member to the appointment. That way, you can influence more than one person and you have a greater chance of speaking to the primary decision-maker in the household. You can also subtly encourage referrals using an office display such as a Generation Board, where you put up pictures of related family or friend groups that are all under your care. Consider also using referral cards, encouraging your patients to “Share Your Good Care.” Train your staff and simply ask for and thank patients for referring someone new. And please don’t overlook asking patients to write a positive Google or social media review (more to come on reviews in the next and final post in this three-part series).

Develop relationships with Medical Doctors, so that you aren’t just relying on patients for referrals. Especially today, when MDs are careful about prescribing prescription pain medication for pain that can be treated with chiropractic, it is a new opportunity for you to form referral relationships with the local MDs in your area. In the link above, Chiropractic Economics writer Bill Owens offers tips on how to garner more MD referrals, such as utilizing your “document sharing” system (most DCs already have them, but may not be using them to their full potential) so that you can easily share HIPAA-compliant reports with the MDs who refer to you.

Of course, if you have a PulStar, the word-of-mouth marketing generated when patients take home their printed reports is an incredible referral tool. Contact us today if you would like to learn more.

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